The easiest summer addiction.

For coffee lovers, cold brew is summer’s nectar. You can of course buy cold brew systems, or end up with an expensive coffee shop addiction, but really all you need for delicious cold brew is a good coffee roast and a French press.

The key is letting the coffee steep over night, that way you don’t really have to think about it. Grind some beans when you get home from work, and by morning you’ll have fuel for a hot day.

Ingredients

• Coffee + water
• Ratios of coffee to water vary, and you can tweak according to how strong you want it. For a 32 ounce French press  (4 cups) I use about 3/4 cup coffee beans, so a little less than a 1 to 4 ratio.

Directions

Grind beans coarsely.

Place grinds in empty French press and fill with cold water. Gently stir with a spoon to mix.

Cover the French press with tinfoil and let steep for about 12 hours at room temperature. It’s even better when you let it sit for 24 hours, but that takes some planning.

Remove the tinfoil and press the grinds down. Serve over ice. If it’s a little strong, dilute with water.

Store in refrigerator in glass bottles or a covered pitcher.

Want more food inspiration? Check out the rest of our Sunday Recipe series. 

The post Sunday Recipe: Make Your Own Cold Brew Coffee appeared first on EcoSalon.

When the weather is hot and sultry, what’s better than a cucumber? They’re refreshing, crunchy, cooling and in season now. (If only the weather were hot and sultry in the San Francisco Bay Area, but that’s another story.)

There are so many different varieties available these days in farmers’ markets. From Armenian to lemon cucumbers, you could try a different one every day of the week in salads, soups, pickles, and more. Here’s a rundown of recipes from around the web that celebrate cucumbers!

From Shockingly Delicious we’ve got a simple and super classic cucumber salad that sounds, well, shockingly delicious.

Over at The Kitchn they’re using up their abundant cucumber harvest by making cucumber juice. I see some vodka in there somewhere.

And Cooking with Amy offers up a gorgeous, smooth green soup with avocados and cucumbers.

Image: Swanksalot

The post When the Mercury Rises: 3 Recipes with Cucumbers appeared first on EcoSalon.

It’s that time of the year already – when gardeners sneak up onto friend’s porches and leave bags of summer squash before ringing the doorbell and running – hey, it happens.

As it happened in my little garden, every plant I put in the ground died except for two (yes two!) squash plants. Now, keep in mind, I live alone, and there is a trumpet vine right near the vegetable bed, which the bees really love. I’m happy about the pollination, but these babies are a little too prolific. Nobody who lives alone really needs two squash plants. Trust me. In the space of one day, the tiny squashes turned into monsters and suddenly I was harvesting about five a day. Help!

Cutting the squash into coins and sauteing it for a side dish is a cute idea, but it’s not really going to work for me. How many times a day can I eat squash? So, the theme this week is recipes that use up lots and lots of squash.

Anytime you have to shred a squash, you know you’re going to go through several of them. Here’s a recipe from Food Blogga that is an interesting twist on the usual zucchini bread. A savory version that sounds yum.

Soup is always a good bet because you know you’re going to need to cut up more than one or two of those babies to make a pot of soup. I made something similar to this recipe from 101 Cookbooks the other day. My version included yellow squash instead of green and I garnished mine with a swirl of crème fraîche and a spoonful of basil pesto.

Back to the ever handy shredding method. This recipe from How the Cookie Crumbles is one I will return to again and again this summer. The other day a friend and I demolished at least eight squash this way and it only served three people. And that’s exactly what you want this time of year.

Image: clayirving

The post Feeling Squashed? 3 Tasty Recipes to Use Up the Abundance appeared first on EcoSalon.

I’ve always been enamored of whole grain salads with seasonal ingredients and flavorful embellishments. They are a great way to use what you have on hand, add more healthy whole grains to your diet, and eat with the seasons. This week’s winner is this Farro Salad with Fresh Mozzarella and Arugula Walnut Pesto From Food 52.

Eggs are such a handy food. Quick and easy to prepare, healthy, versatile, and an economical form of protein. They do, however, require a certain immediacy that isn’t always practical in all situations. This recipe for baked eggs from Mark Bittman is great for guests or anytime you need to serve more than one or two eggs at a time.

Finally, here’s a brilliant post from Tea and Cookies on rethinking your salads. Lots of helpful tips here and so many creative suggestions. This post might just change your entire summer.

Image: Vanessa Barrington

The post Three Recipes to Try This Week: Farro Salad, Easy Baked Eggs, and Rethinking Your Salads appeared first on EcoSalon.

Image: She Knows

We’ve become peach combers in my house, this summer, sharing slices of the sensuous summer fruit during movies or games instead of the usual cookies and candy. The kids are fighting over fruit? You got the last slice! No, you did! Hey, how did we go right?

Fresh peaches just smell like summer, and I have vivid memories of my parents placing a slice into each glass of red wine they served at their Italian dinner parties during those warm August nights in L.A.

While the round fuzzy fruit is  delicious in the organic, pure form, you can also add them to a variety of tantalizing recipes for family and guests. Here is a bushel-full to get you into the grove!

Healthy Oat Peach Muffins are a great choice for breakfast or as a snack with quick oats, oat bran, walnuts and organic cream cheese folded into the mix. I’m always sifting through muffin recipes to make with my daughters, and this one, from She Knows, is a winner. A few fair-trade, dark chocolate chips can also be a welcomed addition.

Peach Sabayon with Balsamic peaches has received rave reviews from the readers of Epicurious. Sabayon is the French name for Zabaglione, an Italian custard dessert made with egg yolks, sugar, a sweet wine and sometimes cream, mascarpone, or whole eggs. The easy-to-follow recipe calls for balsamic vinegar, dry white wine and peach brandy to add that zing to the organic peaches and egg yolks. Whip up a batch for your next al fresco gathering.

Image: Romulo Yanes

Summer Peach Pie a la mode is a huge seasonal favorite when found on summer restaurant menus. You can make your own with this fruity recipe from Bon Appetit which calls for unbleached flour (I switch it with oat) and ground cardamom for aromatic punch.

Image: Bon Appetit

Peachy Summer Smoothies are easy to blend and serve at parties (spike to taste) or leave them as virgin pick-me-ups. Two recipes from The Nibble: Raspberry Peach Lemonade Smoothie and Mango Peach Smoothie are both healthy, vitamin and protein-enriched tropical delights. I say the peachy part is what makes them so keen!

Image: The Nibble

Peach Chutney is an excellent condiment to use sparingly for spicing a meal. I’ve heard chutney called “the perfect dance partner for food” and this recipe from All Recipes merited five gold stars from the foodies who followed it. Another tasty recipe for this low-fat relish can be plucked at Taste of Home.

The post Ecosalon Recipes: Peachy-Green Summer Delights appeared first on EcoSalon.